You spin me right round, baby, right round
First, take Crazy Taxi's whole "go around and pick people up and bring them places" thing. Then, add in remarkably low-budget and corny videos of actual actors every time someone jumps in the car. Then, change the taxi into a limo. Then, have the limo spin out of control at all times. The result is Roundabout, one of the ꦜstrangest games I've played in years. But don't let that weirdness turn you off--Roundab༺out is an outlandishly good time, and a shining example of indie gone crazy.
You play as "Revolving Chauffeur" Georgio Manos (played by ArenaNet UI Designer Kate Welch) and set out to pick up customers (many of whom are played by random game developers) in the town of Roundabout. As her title suggests, Georgio's vehicle is an ever-rotating limo that is damn-near impossible to control. The car spins nonstop, meaning you need to attempt to time every turn perfectly--a task that becomes more and more difficult as you play, as the game throws more curves (literally) your way. You're able to jump and boost, but those abilities only help so much as you try your darndest to drive in a way that no one has ever had to drive before.
In my time with the game it never grew too frustrating. Since it's so insane, even the most ridiculous moments were punctuated with laughter rather than rage, and a healthy supply of checkpoints made sure I never lost too much progress when my revolving vehicle was bashed against a wall. Developer No Goblin promised dozens of unique passengers to enco♎unter and a bunch of optional challenge missions, too, and I'm excited to see what nonsense this absurd game throws our way when it comes out later this year.
Read on for more information and additional images of Roundabout.
Roundabout knows how insane it is, and throws crazy obstacles at you all the time
Even driving in a straight line is difficult when you're spinning out of control
Jumping between objects gives Roundabout a Tony Hawk vibe
Running people over isn't just optional--it's encouraged
FMV totally elevates Roundabout's tone from "silly" to "best thing ever"
Hollander Cooper was the Lead Features Editor of GamesRadar+ between 2011 and 2014. After that lengthy stint managing GR's editorial calendar he moved behind the curtain and into the video game industry itself, working as social media manager for EA and as a communications lead at Riot Games. Hollander is currently stationed at Apꦬple as an organic social lead for the App Store and Apple Arcade.
